Kavita Gera

Leading the complete people agenda for a rapidly growing EV infrastructure organization, functioning as the senior-most HR leader responsible for workforce strategy, organization design, governance, talent management, succession planning, performance management, compliance, and Board reporting.
▸ Architected and executed the company’s comprehensive HR strategy encompassing workforce planning, manpower planning, organisational design, talent pipeline development, headcount optimisation, and HR scorecard implementation — reporting directly to the CEO and presenting people strategy quarterly to the Board, resulting in three Board-approved HR policies including compensation framework, DEI charter, and succession planning mandate.
▸ Built the entire HR function from the ground up within 6 months: established HR Shared Services with defined SLA frameworks (query resolution within 48 hours, payroll zero-error across 12 months), onboarding SOPs, compensation bands, HRIS infrastructure, total rewards framework, and performance management system — zero prior HR infrastructure existed.
▸ Led end-to-end HRIS implementation (Darwinbox): participated in vendor evaluation and selection, configured leave, attendance, payroll, performance, and onboarding modules, managed data migration from manual records, and trained 100% of managers on system usage — reducing HR processing time by 35%.
▸ Designed and implemented a succession planning framework identifying critical roles across technical and leadership layers, creating structured development roadmaps for high-potential employees and eliminating single-point-of-failure risk in 12 key positions.
▸ Managed HR and statutory compliance across 6+ states (Haryana, UP, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka) — covering PF, ESI, PT, Shops & Establishments, Contract Labour (R&A) Act registrations, and EHS compliance across all charging station locations with zero penalties or audit observations.
▸ Operationalised a cross-border contingent workforce framework for India and U.S. operations covering vendor empanelment, onboarding, utilisation tracking, and compliant offboarding for 300+ contractual and field staff.
▸ Deployed OKR-linked performance management system with 360-degree competency assessments and structured career ladders; improved goal-alignment scores by 28% and reduced voluntary attrition from ~35% to ~22% within 9 months.
▸ Designed and executed a DEI framework including gender-balanced hiring targets, POSH sensitisation workshops, inclusive job description standards, and anonymous grievance channel — achieving 34% women representation in corporate roles within 8 months.
▸ Developed and launched employer branding and EVP strategy — careers page, employee testimonial programme, Glassdoor reputation management — reducing offer-decline rate by 30% and strengthening talent attraction for specialist EV roles.
▸ Led change management during rapid organisational scaling: redesigned reporting structures, managed workforce redeployment, implemented structured communication frameworks — maintained eNPS above 42 through periods of ambiguity.
▸ Oversaw total rewards strategy: conducted compensation benchmarking (Mercer/Aon data), introduced variable pay structures, redesigned benefits portfolio — improving compensation equity index and reducing pay-related attrition by 18%.
▸ Ensured 100% compliance with Factories Act, Contract Labour (R&A) Act, POSH, EHS, PF, ESI, PT, and Gratuity across all locations with zero penalties, show-cause notices, or audit observations.

Sole in-country HRBP for the India entity — full HR lifecycle ownership with direct cross-border policy, compliance, and talent development accountability within a structured U.S. MNC governance framework.
▸ Served as in-country HR Business Partner managing the complete HR lifecycle for ~80 India-based employees across multiple cities — recruitment, onboarding, performance management, compliance, employee relations, L&D, and exit.
▸ Configured and administered HRIS (Keka) for the India entity: set up leave and attendance modules, payroll workflows, and performance cycles; migrated employee records from manual files to digital system — reducing HR processing time by 35% and achieving 100% data integrity.
▸ Established succession planning process for critical India roles in collaboration with U.S. VP-HR; identified and developed internal talent for elevation, reducing external hiring costs by 18% over two years.
▸ Designed and tracked HR scorecard with 12 leading and lagging HR metrics (attrition, time-to-fill, training ROI, eNPS, compliance index) — reported quarterly to U.S. VP-HR and India leadership, enabling data-driven workforce decisions.
▸ Designed and implemented a total rewards framework for the India entity including compensation benchmarking against external salary surveys, benefits optimisation, and variable pay communication — improving compensation satisfaction scores by 25%.
▸ Conducted semi-annual employee engagement surveys; implemented targeted action plans that improved eNPS from 28 to 41 across two survey cycles — a 46% improvement in Net Promoter Score.
▸ Built comprehensive L&D architecture with training needs analysis, role-based learning roadmaps, and LMS enhancements — increasing training completion rates by 40% within 12 months.
▸ Localised U.S. HR policies for Indian regulatory requirements (leave, gratuity, POSH, employment contracts), ensuring seamless cross-jurisdiction legal compliance with zero non-compliance incidents.
▸ Reduced onboarding cycle time by 40% through digital workflow automation, structured pre-joining engagement, and standardised buddy-mentor integration programme.
▸ Led HR Shared Services operations with defined TAT frameworks: query resolution within 48 hours, payroll processed error-free, statutory filings completed ahead of deadlines — achieving 35% improvement in HR operational efficiency.

Led HR for a multi-location, contract-labour-intensive construction group spanning project sites and corporate offices across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, and Madhya Pradesh — providing IR, compliance, and workforce management at scale.
▸ Directed full-cycle HR operations, employee relations, and HR shared services for a diversified real estate group spanning project-based construction teams and corporate functions across multiple locations in UP, Delhi NCR, and MP.
▸ Managed contract labour compliance under the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act for 500+ contractual and site workers across three project locations — maintained zero labour dispute record, zero CLRA violations, and clean inspection records throughout tenure.
▸ Handled industrial relations matters including disciplinary proceedings, show-cause notices, domestic inquiry management, and grievance resolution panels — resolving 100% of cases within statutory timelines with zero escalation to labour courts.
▸ Managed statutory registrations and filings across three states (UP, Delhi, MP): PF, ESI, PT, Shops & Establishments, and Contract Labour registrations — ensuring multi-state compliance with zero audit findings.
▸ Reduced voluntary attrition from 32% to 19% over three years through structured engagement programmes, stay interviews, career development conversations, and targeted total rewards adjustments.
▸ Designed and deployed HR scorecard tracking attrition, hiring TAT, training hours, compliance index, and engagement scores — providing monthly HR analytics reports to the MD.
▸ Implemented POSH framework end-to-end: constituted Internal Committee, conducted sensitisation workshops, drafted POSH policy, managed complaint resolution — achieving 100% POSH compliance.
▸ Managed end-to-end recruitment for lateral, specialist, and leadership roles; reduced time-to-fill by 25% through competency-based structured interviews and proactive talent pipelines.

Supported a geographically distributed workforce and collaborated with business leadership on talent acquisition, employee relations, workforce planning, onboarding, compliance, and HR operations within a U.S. business environment.
▸ Built the HR function and full governance framework from scratch, establishing policies, SOPs, and compliance infrastructure for a growing multi-outlet retail and hospitality business.
▸ Managed IR matters including frontline worker grievances, disciplinary proceedings, and termination dispute resolution — zero labour court escalations across four years.
▸ Managed full-cycle talent acquisition with structured employer branding for frontline and management hiring; improved 90-day retention and reduced new-hire ramp-up time through induction redesign.
▸ Delivered role-specific L&D programmes and management development curriculum aligned to business KPIs; improved appraisal scores by 15% and reduced skill-gap attrition.
▸ Maintained 100% compliance across PF, ESI, professional tax, and applicable labour legislation with a clean audit record throughout four-year tenure.